Someone who understands
by VioletBaudelaire07
Summary: Charlie Eppes meets Spencer Reid. Oneshot. Note: Has now a sequel called Soulmates!


**Hi there! **

**This is s****et in the beginning of S1 of **_**Numb3rs**_** and somewhere in the end of S5 of **_**Criminal**__**Minds**_**. Warning: I haven't seen many **_**Numb3rs**_**-episodes and I'm NOT GOOD at maths. The names of the formulas are all made up and mean absolutely nothing, and I have no idea what happens to atoms when they are sped up. PLEASE don't blame me for mistakes in that area! Actually, I had a scene in my mind about Charlie and Spencer getting all excited about some math problem but I realised that I wouldn't be able to write that since they are both genii (is that the English plural of genius?) and I am clearly not. However, I do know **_**Doctor Who**_** which is to some extent a nerd-series, and therefore I thought they could talk about that instead. The quantum displacement link theory is from a book (**_**Apollo 23**_** by Justin Richards). Sorry if you're not watching DW, I do hope very much that you still understand the story! There have been several Doctors so far and usually they are referred to by their number of appearance (the first Doctor is called One, the second Two, and so on. I'm sure you get that ;)).**

He heard the door open, and a voice saying "Hi!"

"Hey!" Charlie didn't turn around but continued scribbling formulas on the blackboard in front of him. Hopefully, it was just someone bringing him coffee because he didn't want to be disturbed.

"What are you doing?"

He sighed. Why did people always ask silly questions? "I'm trying to understand how the quantum displacement link works."

"Oh, that's _Doctor Who_, isn't it?"

Someone who watched _Doctor Who_? Unusual. Finally, he turned to face the stranger who had entered the tiny, dusty and badly lit room. He was young, maybe his own age, with brown hair and eyes that were looking at the formulas on the green blackboard behind him with a certain fascination. Unlike other people, didn't seem confused by them. He might have misread the facial expression, though. Improbable but still quite possible.

"Oh, that's why you went with the McFarlane principle..."

He even understood some of them! Now _that_ was abnormal! Appreciatively he raised an eyebrow. "Yeah."

"I don't think they use real scientific facts for science fiction series, you know."

"I know that, but technically it should be possible to understand the theory of that particular invention. Unlike teleportation from _Star Trek_ it's not about beaming but about being at two places at the same time."

The young man stepped into the room and very slowly he came closer to the chalkboard, still focused on the writing on it. "Oh, you mean because there's no actual matter transmission included, which would be impossible."

"Exactly! Two places are joined by the quantum displacement process..."

"... so you can walk from one into the other without actually having to dissolve into atoms... That abbreviation there is quite brilliant, actually!" He came even closer until he stood right next to Charlie, and pointed at one particular part of a formula which he had worked on feverishly for several hours.

"Thanks, it took me quite a while to get there."

The other male's gaze wandered upwards to inspect the other numbers and letters on the chalkboard, his mouth half opened as he took in what he saw. Slowly he licked his upper lip. "Yeah... Looks like it!"

"You're an anomaly, you know!"

The young man stopped looking at the blackboard and turned to him at last. "What?"

"I mean... you understand! Very rarely I meet people who understand!"

"Oh, no big deal, I've got a PhD in Maths."

"_And_ you know what quantum displacement is. Nobody learns that at university!" He smiled and put forth his hand. "Professor Charles Eppes."

His counterpart shook it and smiled back. "Dr. Spencer Reid. I do think I read your habilitation treatise!" He turned back towards the formulas, eyes glinting with excitement. "So what's your plan?"

"After figuring out a Flecknoe Formula that includes light velocity I should be able to comprehend how joining two places works."

Reid looked at him with an amused expression. "Theoretically!"

He nodded. "Theoretically, of course, yes. It's not gonna work in reality because we'll never be able to accelerate atoms to the speed necessary while maintaining their electric tension."

"You try to figure out how alien technology from science fiction series works while knowing exactly that nobody will be able to build it _and_ that the writers never bothered with actual science! What you find isn't even going to be useful... who would ever consider using a Flecknoe Formula including light speed? You're mad!"

Charlie looked at the other man, his disappointment shining in his eyes. For a few moments he had thought that this guy _understood_. Not just the maths but how much fun it was to think about impossible things. For a teensy little flash in time he had felt excited about finding someone who actually cared for these things, too. And now he was accused of being out of his mind by this very person.

Spencer seemed to see that he had said the wrong thing. "Oh, I didn't mean to... Ingenious people are always mad... Mad is good, you know!"

He relaxed. "Oh..."

"I think it's cool that you try to figure out the theory of quantum displacement!"

Charlie sighed with relief and smiled almost shyly. "Other people have thought me to be crazy as well, but I think you're the first person I've ever met who thinks that that is actually a good thing."

Spencer smiled understandingly. "I've been called mad before, too... mind you, not in the good way either."

"Wanna go and have a coffee?", Charlie changed the subject.

"Sure!", the other man beamed. "If it's not disturbing you in your train of thought."

"I could need a break, really, I've been working on the problem all day. And perhaps you have your own opinion about it. It sometimes helps to have a fresh pair of eyes when one is stuck." He realised how hungry he was. He hadn't eaten much so far today. "What are you doing here, by the way? I see you work with the FBI, too", he pointed at Reid's identification badge, "but I haven't seen you before."

"Oh, I'm working with the Behaviour Analysis Team from Quantico and we flew in to help with the Henry Guess-case."

"Ah, my brother was on that case, too. Aren't you busy then?"

Spencer chuckled. "No, we just solved it. My boss has to do some paperwork here before we leave and that's why the team stays here for another night."

"Here? In this building?" Charlie looked puzzled.

The other man smiled again. "In LA. We're able to afford a hotel, you know."

"Oh... yeah...", he answered, feeling rather awkward. Spencer didn't seem to what to say next and Charlie realised what a weird and silly question he had asked.

"Err. Let's find the canteen, shall we?", Reid suggested after another few seconds of awkward silence.

"Yeah! Um, no, wait, let's go to the coffee shop that's just across the street. The coffee in the canteen is horrid!" Why was he suddenly feeling so nervous?

"Right, you know best!", the young man said and nodded.

As they left the building Charlie noticed that he'd never really walked through it with someone else than his brother or Amita.

As they crossed the street he still felt a little excited about this unusual development.

As they both ordered the exact same sort of coffee he hoped with all his heart that he had found a new friend.

They found a table and sat down. Reid leant forward a bit and asked, almost whispering, "So, what's your favourite episode?"

"Well, I prefer the newer ones from the eighth doctor since they don't have wobbly sets anymore.", he answered, equally quiet.

"I agree, though I didn't find Eight quite thrilling."

"I'd go with _Blink_, I guess. Yours?"

Spencer tilted his head. "_Blink_ was good, indeed. I do prefer Nine though, and my favourite ep is _The Empty Child_."

Charlie beamed. "'Everybody lives, Rose!'", he quoted.

The other man smiled again, brown eyes sparkling with mirth. After a moment he looked down at his cup, appearing almost embarrassed, dark lashes concealing his half open eyes. A hue of a blush covered his cheeks. Confused, Charlie looked at his own coffee, busying himself with pouring cream in it. As he watched the white liquid mingling with the black one, creating beautifully unpredictable patterns and slowly becoming one brown fluid, he asked himself whether he had said something wrong. Somehow, he was creating awkward moments. He didn't want to do that since he liked Spencer, and yet he didn't know what had prompted such a reaction in his counterpart.

He cleared his throat and looked at the other man again. "So, is Nine your favourite Doctor then?"

Reid met his gaze. "I'd say so, yeah, though Four is pretty cool, too."

Charlie nodded. "The deadly jelly baby, that's a classic!"

The comment made Spencer laugh. He was relieved to have broken the awkward silence again, and bit into his muffin.

"Who's yours then?"

He swallowed. "Ten, definitely!"

His counterpart raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, he's... cool. You know, I just thought that the Doctor is the best proof that mad is cool."

Charlie nodded. Somehow he wasn't able to stop smiling. "Hey, you're right! 'No great genius has ever existed without some touch of madness.'"

At that instant Spencer's mobile phone rang and with an apologetic glance into his direction he answered it. "Reid... Oh, hi... uh no, I'm having a coffee with- ... No!... Penelope, really, it's not a- ... You don't even know- ... I never said that!... What?... But-" He appeared to be a little confused. "Hello? Penelope?" His eyes darted from the left to the right, he opened his mouth like he wanted to say something but he didn't. Then he frowned at his phone and put it down. "She just hung up on me!"

"Not very nice."

"No." He turned to Charlie. "What are you doing tonight?"

That change of subject took him by surprise. "Um, I thought about finishing my work on the quantum displacement link theory."

"Would you do me a favour and have dinner with me? The team just kinda... made plans without me."

"Sure we can have dinner. How come they ignored you?"

Spencer sighed and looked rather abashed. "Well... They, or at least Penelope, did it on purpose." Again, an adorable hue of pink covered his cheeks. "She thinks I'm on a date."

Charlie raised an eyebrow. He felt his heart throbbing fast. He hoped very much that he wasn't blushing, too. "Oh right. So she wanted to give us some 'bonding time'."

"So it seems."

_Bugger_, Charlie thought, _there's another awkward moment! They seem to come in flocks today. At least it's not my fault this time!_ He tried to smile and hoped he was able to hide just how confounded he was. "As if we needed that!", he attempted to joke.

"Yeah.", Spencer said and leant forward to gently kiss him.


End file.
